


The Joys of Being Idle

by Marble_Ocean



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Doropetra, Edeleth, F/F, milf rights
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22201861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marble_Ocean/pseuds/Marble_Ocean
Summary: Four women sit at a table, talking as happily as every forty-something woman has every right to be. No burdens of war on their shoulders, just the threat of an arm wrestle and ongoing innuendo.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 11
Kudos: 211





	The Joys of Being Idle

“And then-“ Edelgard paused to compose herself, her lips disappearing as she sucked them in. “And then he said ‘I’m not having any sort of relations with Hubert.’ Oh, my friends, I wish you could have seen Ferdinand’s face.” She wiped an amused tear from her eye. Upon her once pure white crown of hair, traces of brunette were returning. Her powerful red garbs where tucked away in favour a simple pale grey shirt, she had joked to herself that she was daring to leave just one button undone.

“Trust me, Edie, I would have loved to see it.” Dorothea drawled, running a hand over one of her braids idly, a habit of hers. A gray hair or two curled through her chestnut waves. Years ago she would have nipped them out in horror but she was gracefully allowing them now, Petra said it suited her after all. Brigid attire suited her well also, though her trademark deep crimson had lightened to a dusty pink. The colour made her scars seem a little more faded, not that she hid them away. She wore flowing dresses that were unburdened by the intricacies of stardom and it’s lavish, fashionable demands.

She turned to her wife with an expectant grin. “I haven’t seen the foolish boy in so long. Darling, we must visit him and his long-suffering Hubie, don’t you think?”

“I think that is a wonderful idea, Dorothea.” Petra nodded, quirking her lips up at the idea. She stretched her arms above her head, her light green tunic rising with them and revealing more tattoos across her muscular stomach. Her body was even more decorated now, magenta windings around her arms and thighs and back, prayers for her family, tales of many victories and more. One tattoo, a simple pink band wound around her finger, matched Dorothea’s. “Do you think they will be impressed with my speech?”

“Absolutely.” Edelgard replied, direct with her praises as always. “Your Fódlan has improved immensely. As has Dorothea’s Brigid, I presume?”

“Hyn Brigid uy nyeddfol.” Dorothea rolled the words off her tongue expertly while Petra looked inclined to swoon, pride dancing in her eyes. 

“I will never tire of her speaking like this.” She said to Edelgard. She turned to Dorothea, her traditional necklaces jingling with her movement. “Ywyn caru yi.” She brought Dorothea’s hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles, making the singer chuckle and blush. It was so easy with the two of them, to be open and affectionate. Edelgard sat there, infinitely amused when she heard familiar footsteps.

“Your beloved approaches.” Dorothea clapped excitedly as watched Edelgard’s aging face soften considerably. It was a lovely sight to see such a smile on one so deserving.

“She does indeed.” Edelgard sighed. The Great Emperor sighed often nowadays, happily so. “Hello.” She greeted Byleth, looking pleased beyond belief.

Byelth looked at them as she entered the room, almost as stoic as ever. The fishing gear tied around her waist and a very unfashionable sun hat on her head told them exactly what she had just been doing. _How very Byleth_ , they all thought. She was sporting just as casual an outfit as Edelgard, though with considerably more buttons undone. Then, she grinned, canines and all, eyes scrunching up in apparent glee. The hint of wrinkles were starting to engrave around her eyes, though all four women were starting to share that trait. 

She took off her hat, placed it over heart and bowed comically. “To what do we owe the pleasure of the Brigid Royals joining us for tea?” She glanced between the women in question before pulling up a seat beside Edelgard. “I thought you’d be busy in Brigid, not that we mind of course.”

“Oh, you know how I enjoy spontaneity, Byleth.” Dorothea hummed, taking a tea cup and pouring one out for her old professor. “My darling here just so happens to put up with it.”

“Nonsense, I am just as spontaneous- on occasion.” Petra huffed lightly, smiling at her old professor. “It is very good to see you, Professor Byleth.” Petra held her hand out, which Byelth took, shaking it firmly. Seems she had forgotten her own strength as Petra’s brow quirked up at her grip. “Are you wishing to challenge me to an… Dorothea what is the- Oh! An arm-wrestle?”

“I wasn’t but now that you mention it…”

“No.” Edelgard cut in. “The teacups wouldn’t last.”

“Besides,” Dorothea crossed her legs, bringing the tea cup to her lips and sipping matter-of-factly. “We all know my Petra would win.”

“You would say that.” Edelgard scoffed. “She _is_ your wife.”

“And you wouldn’t say the same of your woman, Edie?”

“I do not feel the need to boast about how she would win.” She waved her hand. “I know she would win, I do not need to announce it.”

Petra hummed thoughtfully, a glint in her eye. “Perhaps it is you two who should be wrestling your arms.” Her gaze trailed over Dorothea’s body languidly. “I would not mind seeing it.”

“Me neither.” Byleth was also openly ogling her other half.

Under their gazes, Dorothea and Edelgard all but melted. Dorothea played with a coil of her hair, twirling it tight around her finger as she bit her lip. Edelgard’s face tried to retreat into her shirt. Their hunters exchanged a victorious look before laughing.

“I do enjoy being the one to tease sometimes, my love, forgive me.” Petra cooed, kissing Dorothea’s cheek.

“Perhaps, if you make it up to me later.” Dorothea sighed. “But first, our hosts must attend to us. How long has it been, after all?”

Byleth’s eyebrows pinched together. “Tell me, El, how long?”

“Oh!” The question caught Edelgard off guard for a moment, she had not thought about the passing time for a long while. She entwined her fingers with Byleth’s as she thought “It must be... five years?”

“Unbelievable.” Dorothea scoffed playfully. “Another five years, truly Byleth? I can’t believe we’ve been exchanging letters for so long without seeing your faces.” 

“It has been over twenty years since we triumphed, blodyddyn.” Petra sat back, seeming to muse over her words. “I have been... Ah, ‘counting my blessings’ every moment since. We have seen each other a total of ten times since we went back to my Brigid.”

“I remember your coronation fondly.” Edelgard said, glancing to their resting crowns on the mantelpiece. “Queen Petra… we have come a long way. And Queen Dorothea of course.”

Dorothea shifted in her seat, a huge grin on her face. “I don’t think I’ll ever quite get used to that.” 

“I got used to it before I even proposed.” Petra said, making her wife’s charming smile all the more wider. 

“What are we to do with them?” Byleth leaned over and kissed Edelgard on the temple.

“Oh, as long we don’t catch them kissing in the stables again, they should be just fine.”

Dorothea cleared her throat as Byleth’s kiss threatened to linger. “Now.” She declared. Petra’s eyes widened and she sat up straighter in her chair, gaze flickering between all three women rapidly. Edelgard paid attention immediately as Byleth idly picked up one of accompanying sweets. “There is another reason we’ve joined you here rather unexpectedly. There is something... expected.”

Petra’s joyous expression betrayed her silence on the matter and it didn’t take two and two figure out what that meant. Especially as she leaned over to place a hand on Dorothea’s stomach.

“You’re...?” Edelgard balked. 

“She’s what?” Byleth asked with a mouthful of pastry.

Dorothea laughed patiently, smoothing her hand over Petra’s. “I’m pregnant, Byleth.”

“A baby!” Petra exclaimed, looking ready to burst at the seams. “We are having a baby, oh, I am still having difficulty believing it.”

“How?” Byleth asked with a tilt of her head.

“Well-“ Petra gestured to no one in particular. “Because I am feeling so lucky and-“

“No, I meant ‘how.’” Byleth repeated, more curious than ever.

Edelgard slapped her arm, to which the blue-haired deadpan seemed largely unaffected. “You cannot ask them that!” She hissed in a high pitch.

Dorothea could not stop laughing as she leaned over the table as if to unravel some great conspiracy. “My Petra made it very fun I promise.” She was answering Byleth but watching Edelgard. As expected she was blushing madly. 

“She’s strong, handsome.” Byleth shrugged. “I believe you.”

“Thank you, Professor Byelth.” Petra chuckled, completely unphased as she was too caught up in imaginings of her future. She entwined her fingers over the table and joined Dorothea in leaning over it. “If you want to know, there is a ritual involving ancient magic. It is not unlike some of the more scientific methods seen in Fódlan.”

“Oh, but _far_ more romantic.” Dorothea preened airily. Once again, her sly gaze targeted Edelgard. “My legs are still weak—“

“No more!” Edelgard bristled, voice somehow higher. “No more, I beg of you.” She sighed deeply but her embarrassment gave way to joy eventually. “I am beyond elated for the two of you.”

“Me too.” Byleth joined in after listening intently. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Dorothea said, her smile now revealed a dimple in her cheek. “Thank you both, so much.”

Petra nodded in agreement. “I am also thanking you both. We owe a lot to your guidance.”

“An Emperor is nothing without her soldiers.” Edelgard replied coolly. “But I am nothing without any of you, I should be thanking you all as well.”

“You all know what you all mean to me.” Byleth said, regarding Edelgard especially with a fondness in her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with more gratitude though, so thank you, for my humanity.”

The four women sat together, nestled in the future they had created as if everything yet nothing mattered at all. When it came time for the Brigid Royalty to leave, they bid farewell at the palace gates.

“Don’t miss us too badly now.” Dorothea winked, stepping up and onto her old dark knight horse, Marigold. The horse’s features were starting to look weathered but she was a fine steed who whinied in happiness of her master’s presence.

“We can’t help ourselves.” Byleth tilted her head in an endearing little bow. “Send our best to Ferdinand and Hubert.”

“Only if you give our Bern a little kiss on the cheek from me.”

“And a firm handshake from Petra?”

“You know us well.” Dorothea giggled.

Petra and Edelgard were observing their wives converse, beyond content.

“Do you ever think about how lucky we are?” Edelgard asked.

Petra seemed to breathe deep, eyes momentarily closing as if in a brief trance. “With every sunrise, at every sunset. I see the light sparkle in her eyes and I cannot help but think how I am the luckiest woman in the world.” Petra traced the tattoo over her finger. “And now she will have our child, the Spirits have truly, truly blessed us.”

Edelgard pretended not to notice the tears clouding in her eyes. “You fought for this future just as much as you were blessed, Petra, do not forget that.” 

“Of course, _hyn hrind.”_ And like that, the tears were blinked away.

Dorothea and Byleth laughed about something, Byleth’s laughter so loud that birds fled their trees. Edelgard watched them fly off, soaring as kites did. “It was all so unbelievably worth it, was it not?”

“Absolutely. You are feeling… you feel just the same, yes?” Petra beamed as Dorothea waved at her. She returned the wave by graciously blowing her a kiss which Dorothea pretended to catch with all the theatrics only an ex-diva could pull off. 

Edelgard extended her own wave to her Byleth, whose grinning response could be described as nothing short of goofy. “One hundred percent, I cannot afford to feel otherwise.” 

Edelgard extended her hand, Petra took it, shaking once. How very formal. The two could hardly fight their smiles before they laughed and brought each other in for a fierce hug.

“Oh, Petra, before you go...” Edelgard whispered as they broke apart, her cheeks flushed.

“Yes?” She said, knowing exactly what she was going to ask. She knew her too well.

“Tell me about this leg-weakening ritual...”

**Author's Note:**

> me: the faves in their forties  
> someone: wow I like that  
> me: ...one sec
> 
> And one twitter threadfic and an edit later, here we go haha!


End file.
